Rashid Khan set to lead as Afghanistan announce 15-player squad for T20 World Cup

Kabul [Afghanistan], April 30 (ANI): Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Tuesday announced the 15-player squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup which will kick off on June 1.
Star spinner Rashid Khan will lead the squad while Hashmatullah Shahidi who led the team in the previous edition of the tournament has been dropped from the squad. Shahidi made his last appearance in the T20I format in 2022 against Ireland.
Young left-arm spinner Nangyal Kharoti, who made his international debut for Afghanistan in March this year against Ireland, has found a spot for himself in the squad.
The 20-year-old impressed in the series against Ireland as he picked five wickets in three matches with a mere economy of 5.90.
Another young Afghan player to seal a spot is wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Ishaq. The 19-year-old was part of Afghanistan's squad in the 2020 and 2022 ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cups.
Apart from leading the squad, Rashid will spearhead the spin department with support from four spinners Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Nangyal Kharoti and veteran Mohammad Nabi.
Afghanistan's fast-bowling line-up consists of Naveen-ul-Haq, Fareed Ahmad and Fazalhaq Farooq.
The tournament will kick off on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies. Afghanistan have been placed in Group C alongside New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Uganda and the West Indies.
Afghanistan will open their campaign against Uganda on June 4 at the Providence Stadium, Guyana.
Afghanistan Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (c), Nangyal Kharoti, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik
Reserves: Sediq Atal, Hazratullah Zazai, Saleem Safi. (ANI)